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Fleece Camping Pillowcases

Over the last few months, my husband and I have been really refining our camping gear and our camping routine — and finding what works best for the two of us. When we started camping together, we were using all of his gear — since he’d been camping all his life, and I (at the time) hated camping and never went at all.

I’ve got another post coming up soon about the new gear and changes we’ve made to our camping routine that have made things so much more comfortable for us — but today, I want to tell you about the Best Idea I Ever Had For Camping – so dubbed by my husband.

Fleece Pillowcases.

The idea came to me during our first camping trip of the year, back in June, when I was trying to stay warm at night — and the cold air made my pillowcases positively freezing. I took to wrapping the pillows in my Snuggie (yes, I have a camping Snuggie – more on that later) to keep them warm.

The only problem with this solution is that the Snuggie kept coming off while I slept. But then I had a “light bulb” moment … why not sew pillowcases out of fleece!

The fleece keeps the pillows warm despite the cold night air, and are the perfect way to help you maintain your body heat during the chilly nights in your tent.

For each pillowcase, you’ll need approximately 1 yard of fleece (1-1/2 yards for bigger pillows).

I used my existing pillowcases as a pattern, and traced around them — adding about a 1/2″ allowance for my seams. Then I stitched up the fleece on three sides, and left the fourth side open for slipping in my pillow. Since fleece doesn’t unravel, I didn’t even bother to hem the open edge (though you certainly can, if you so choose).

You can usually find fleece at the fabric store for pretty cheap, and you can even have fun with novelty prints if you want, since the pillowcases are just for camping. (I used pirate fabric, Avengers print, and Mickey Mouse fabric for our pillowcases!)

* Now, about that Snuggie. Yes, I have a camping Snuggie. Laugh all you want, but the “blanket with sleeves” is great for cozying up around the campfire when it gets chilly out — and acts as another extra blanket at night when it’s time for bed. It’s seriously one of the best accidental camping supplies I ever discovered!